The situation in the Middle East is extremely dangerous. A Hamas leader is killed in Lebanon and devastating explosions occur in Iran. The parties to the conflict appear to be trying to exercise restraint. The overview.
The devastating explosions in Iran and the killing of a leader of the Islamist Hamas in Lebanon have further increased dangerous tensions in the Middle East. Iran’s leadership spoke of a terrorist attack after the attack on the anniversary of General Ghassem Soleimani’s death.
At first no one claimed responsibility for the crime. There is no reason to believe that Israel is involved, said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. The USA also had nothing to do with it. The attack, which killed 84 people, came as Iran’s arch-enemy Israel is waging war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip and facing Iranian-backed militias such as Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Hezbollah chief warns Israel
After the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, Saleh al-Aruri, was killed in an explosion in the Lebanese capital Beirut, the head of Hezbollah warned Israel against an escalation of the conflict with Lebanon. “The assassination of Al-Arouri is a dangerous crime that will not go without response and punishment,” Hassan Nasrallah said in a speech on Wednesday. “If the enemy starts a war against Lebanon, we will no longer follow any rules,” said Nasrallah. However, he did not make a direct threat against Israel or even a declaration of war.
Nasrallah simply said in his speech: “We are not afraid of war and we do not hesitate.” Israel had not claimed responsibility for the killing of Al-Aruri. However, the Hamas leader had been on Israel’s “hit list” for a long time. Israel believes he was involved in planning the devastating terrorist attack on October 7 in the Israeli border area, which sparked the Gaza war. Al-Arouri had also established closer Hamas ties with Hezbollah and Iran.
Lebanon: Don’t want to be drawn into a war
The killing of Al-Aruri has now brought the Gaza war to Beirut. The government there is trying not to let the conflict escalate: “We are very worried, the Lebanese do not want to be drawn into it, even Hezbollah does not want to be drawn into a regional war,” said Minister Bou Habib. He called on Western states to “put pressure on Israel to stop all its violence and all its actions, not only in Lebanon, not only in Beirut, but also in Gaza.”
The Foreign Office calls on people to leave Lebanon quickly
Because of the tense situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, the Foreign Office called on German nationals to leave Lebanon as quickly as possible. Germans who are still in the country should register on the Elefand crisis preparedness list and leave “as quickly as possible,” the Foreign Office wrote on the X platform, formerly Twitter. “An escalation on the border between Israel and Lebanon cannot be ruled out,” it said after a meeting of the crisis team.
Expert: Iran has no interest in confrontation
“It is now very important that Hezbollah restores its deterrence capacity, taking into account local realities: the Lebanese do not want to be drawn into a war,” Anthony Samrani, editor-in-chief of the Lebanese newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour, told the Foreign television from the French broadcaster France 24. The Shiite Hezbollah does not have the means for a comprehensive conflict with Israel, “especially in view of the strong US presence in the region.”
Neither Hezbollah nor its biggest supporter, Iran, are prepared to take on major retaliatory measures, said political analyst Makram Rabah of the German Press Agency. “It has been clear since the beginning of the conflict that Iran has no interest in a full-scale confrontation,” he said. After the devastating explosions in Iran on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal newspaper pointed out that Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi announced a decisive response in a short statement on the X platform, but had not blamed anyone for the attack.
“With God’s permission, the hand of divine vengeance will appear at the right time and place,” Raisi wrote. The aim of the attack was apparently to further inflame tensions between Israel and Iran at a time of heightened sensitivity between both sides following the murder of Hamas leader Al-Aruri, the Wall Street Journal wrote, citing unnamed people , who are familiar with Israel’s actions.
What is important today
After the explosions in Iran, the search for the perpetrators continues. Meanwhile, the fighting in the Gaza Strip continues and the situation for civilians remains catastrophic.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
